My Black Milk Glass Cake Stand Collection

I collect cake stands as I find them to be more fuctional than just for holding cakes. With this Halloween Season approaching I partnered with a local company to have these black glass stands in 6", 8" & 12" sizes manufactured for me. These are the perfect accessory for Halloween Treats for the Ghouls and Goblins that arrive at your door.  Fashioned after a vintage mold from the 1800's, it's like owning a piece of history.

Hand washing is essential.

Black Milk Glass Cake Stand Collection

6" Black Milk Cake Stand $40.00 USD 8" Black Milk Cake Stand $50.00 USD 12" Black Milk Cake Stand $65.00 USD 10" Hobnail Black Milk Cake Stand $55.00 USD

Collecting - Louis Vuitton, the history of luxe travel

It's been over 20 years since I purchased my Louis Vuitton luggage.  My first piece as the hard side case pictured, and then it was followed by several others.  My first piece was aptly called boite bouteilles, which translated to English means bottle box.  I have always used it to carry all my apothecary that I will need for my travels.  Hard side luggage is a rarely seen these days, and these pieces were originally designed for train or boat travel - it's sturdy sides ensured your items would arrive safe and unharmed. 

Louis Vuitton Malletier — commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton or shortened to LV — is a French fashion house specializing in luxury trunks, leather goods, ready-to-wear, shoes, watches, jewelery, accessories, sunglasses, and books. Known the world over for its LV monogram and logo, Louis Vuitton is one of the World's most recognized brands. A long time symbol of prestige and wealth, the company commands some of the highest prices in the international fashion market for its products.

Louis Vuitton was founded by Monsieur Vuitton in 1854 in Paris. In 1858, Louis Vuitton introduced his flat-bottom trunks with trianon canvas (they were lightweight and airtight).  Before the introduction of Vuitton's trunks, rounded-top trunks were used, generally to promote water run off, and thus could not be stacked. It was Vuitton's gray Trianon canvas flat trunk that allowed the ability to stack for ease with voyages. Becoming successful and prestigious, many other luggagemakers began to imitate LV's style and design.

In 1867, the company participated in the universal exhibition in Paris. To protect against the duplication of his look, he changed the Trianon design to a beige and brown stripes design in 1876.  By 1885, the company opened its first store in London, England on Oxford Street.  Soon thereafter, due to the continuing imitation of his look, in 1888, the Damier Canvas pattern was created by Louis Vuitton, bearing a logo that reads "marque L. Vuitton déposée," which translates to "mark L. Vuitton deposited" or, roughly, "L. Vuitton trademark". In 1892, Louis Vuitton died, and the company's management passed to his son.
After the death of his father, Georges Vuitton began a campaign to build the company into a worldwide corporation, exhibiting the company's products at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. In 1896, the company launched the legendary Monogram Canvas and made the worldwide patents on it. Its graphic symbols, including quatrefoils and flowers (as well as the LV monogram), were based on the trend of using Japanese and Oriental designs in the late Victorian era. The patents later proved to be successful in stopping counterfeiting. In this same year, Georges traveled to the United States, where he toured various cities (such as New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago), selling Vuitton products during the visit. In 1901, the Louis Vuitton Company introduced the Steamer Bag, a smaller piece of luggage designed to be kept inside Vuitton luggage trunks.

By 1913, the Louis Vuitton Building opened on the Champs-Elysees. It was the largest travel-goods store in the world at the time. Stores also opened in New York, Bombay, Washington, London, Alexandria, and Buenos Aires as World War I began. Afterwards, in 1930, the Keepall bag was introduced. During 1932, LV introduced the Noé bag. This bag was originally made for champagne vintners to transport bottles. Soon thereafter, the Louis Vuitton Speedy bag was introduced (both are still manufactured today).

My train case, as well as all of my luggage has been well used and I am confident these pieces will outlast me and be handed down to my daughter as heirlooms.  I find Louis Vuitton luggage to be synonymous with luxe travel no matter where you are going.  Undoubtedly you never have to wonder where your luggage is at baggage claim.  With the information age at our advantage, it is increasingly easy to find vintage trunks and carry-ons if you visit the right places and know what to look for so you make sure your Louis Vuitton piece is authentic. 

I will forever cherish my Louis Vuitton luggage and hope that one day I can own a coveted steamer trunk.

Collecting American Fostoria

I was over at a friends home this last week, and when I went into her cupboard for a pitcher I noticed she had a piece of American Fostoria.  I reached for it and she immediately 'poo poo'd' me by saying 'don't use that, that's old lady.'  I reminded her that it was American Fostoria, which is something I collect - in fact, it is one of my favorite patterns.  She had no idea outside a family heirloom that it was collectible or valued by others.

Fostoria Glass Co. produced high-quality elegant glass tableware for nearly 100 years. Founded in 1887 in Fostoria, Ohio, they moved to Moundsville, West Virginia, in 1892. Today many of their pattern lines are highly sought after by collectors.  As you can see, I own several pieces of stemware which can be used from casual to elegant entertaining.  Since it is clear it goes with anything.  These pieces are still reasonably priced, so you too can get in on adding some history to your collection.  I have the 18"-footed punch bowl, which is incredibly rare with 24 punch cups - make sure and snap it up if you find one.

Line number 2056, American, was Fostoria Glass Co.'s most successful pattern, produced continuously from its introduction in 1915 until the Moundsville, West Virginia, plant closed in 1986.  American Fostoria crystal was celebrated in the early part of the last century for its geometric patterns, transcendent detailing and otherworldly beauty. Ornate and heavy, the crystal was known even during the Depression as a beautiful example of fine craftsmanship across a number of disciplines. Perhaps that's why today, American Fostoria collectors continue to swap tips, tricks, photos and more in deference to this timeless classic.

Terrariums

Terrariums are fascinating eco-systems all unto themselves. They require very little maintenance and almost no watering. A terrarium is a collection of compatible plants grown in an enclosed, or partially enclosed, clear container.

Creating a terrarium filled with ferns and other small plants is a practical and fun way to have a miniature landscape inside your home. Their easy care is ideal for people who are too busy to spend a lot of time caring for plants. Your choice of containers is only as broad as your imagination. There are many ready made terrariums available, or you can use bottles, jars, aquariums, fishbowls, or even brandy snifters. The choice is yours. I have a vast collection of terrariums that I will feature here on the website.
Terrariums allow you to grow plants which require a high degree of humidity, which otherwise would probably perish in the dry atmosphere of a heated home. Once the plants become established within your miniature garden, the terrarium begins to create a climate of its own. The plants transpire moisture through their leaves, which then condenses on the glass, and flows back to the soil. This 'rain effect' allows the terrarium to go for weeks without watering. Terrariums should never be grown in FULL sun!

The gothic-inspired terrarium featured on this post is 18 inches square and 64 inches tall, making it perfect for orchids.

Collecting - Cuckoo Clocks

My favorite movie of all time is Out of Africa. Karen Blixen was a fighter; the true definition of resillience. The first time I saw that movie, I wanted a mantle cuckoo clock to remind me of the struggles Karen Blixen went through, so I would always remember that she made it through them and so would I.

Ten years ago I was purchasing a wall cuckoo clock and I mentioned to the clock shop owner that if he ever ran across a mantle version to please contact me. Many months later I received a call as he had found one - the price was $2000. I was running a successful business at the time, and so I said I would do it. The owner drove four hours to hand deliver it to me. Even after ten years, I still marvel at the beauty of this clock and what it represents to me.

The clock was made by Dold Uhren, who has since gone out of business and it carries a Reuge movement that plays Lara's Theme one hour and Edelweiss the second hour as miniature, hand carved hummels dance around in circles. The cuckoo's wings even flap when he comes out to announce the hour at hand. Pears, bird nests and hunting dogs are not common carvings on cuckoo pieces. It stands 29" high and 17" wide - this is one large clock.

I knew when I purchased this clock that it was rare, I was told that only four of these were ever made. Of course, now it is even more rare which has caused its' value to soar. I used the stock photo from when I purchased it as any picture I took did not display all the intricate workings of this beautiful piece. If you can afford such a rarity, I would highly recommend it so you too can have a part of history of a time when craftmanship was prized and well thought out.

Collecting Faux Bamboo

In the world of cabinetmakers and other craftsmen, sometimes fake or faux is better than real. Furniture from earlier centuries had painted wood grain (faux bois) or special stains that made the wood look like a more expensive variety.

During the late 19th century, bamboo was popular as both supports and trim on furniture. It was an exotic wood that fit in with the Victorian Aesthetic Period, which was inspired by Asian designs. But bamboo is not strong enough for hardwood cabinets and chairs, so makers made wooden turned rods that resembled bamboo, then painted and stained them to look even more realistic.  The style was popular during the rococo revival period....1880 to 1900....and well after.

Collectors today, like myself own several variations of faux bamboo - from small tables, to flatware with faux bamboo handles, to large faux bamboo bedroom sets and chairs. The key is good design and workmanship.

Collecting 101: Ironstone

I love Ironstone and am an avid collector of it.  To me, it has the durability of china with the casual lines that fit my lifestyle.  The pieces are always versatile and I tend to mix and match them together.  Ironstone china, a name of which well describes this hardy ware, was originally designed as an inexpensive substitute for the costly and fragile bone china.  Miles Mason is credited as being the founder of this wonderful ware, who had been a china dealer in London. In 1780 he took over the Lane Delph pottery in Staffordshire and started making earthenware transfer-decorated dishes with designs in the Chinese manner known as "British Nankin."

These were popular and sold well, but Mason is best remembered for his ironstone china for which he and his son, Charles, obtained a patent in 1813. The body of this ware was of white clay with generous quantities of pulverized flint and slag from iron-smelting added to the mix. As a result it was very strong and not easily chipped. Though heavier than real porcelain, it was very popular in England and America for a half-century and still is. As soon as the Mason patent expired or even before, most of the other Staffordshire potters were making china of about the same formula which they marked "ironstone" or some similar descriptive term.

From about 1835 to 1860, octagon-shaped dishes were especially popular in table ware and much of the ironstone china was produced in that form by the various Staffordshire potters, including Wedgwood and Spode. The Mason family retired in 1851, selling their pottery to a corporation headed by a member of the Ridgway family. Ironstone china popular with Americans included transfer-decorated dishes in the Willow pattern, some American blue and white historic and scenic designs, usually done in deep blue, and even copperlustre ware patterns. Generally most ironstone bears a marking, a diamond-shape with circle above enclosing a Roman numeral.  It is by these numerals and letters with which the date of dish can be told. The potter's mark is impressed in an area below.

Most ironstone china bears the mark of its maker and, from 1842 on, a design registry may be present if the piece is of a special shape or pattern. When unmarked, weight and feel of a piece identify it as the lovely, heirloom it is.

Collecting - Deruta

Deruta is a hill town in the Province of Perugia [pe-roo-jah] in the Umbria region of central Italy. Long known as a center of refined maiolica/majolica [muh-yol-i-kuh] manufacture. Maiolica is highly decorated earthenware with a glaze of tin oxide. While mailoica is made throughout Italy, only mailoica manufactured in the hill town can bear the stamp of Deruta.

The local clay was good for ceramics, whose production began in the Early Middle Ages, but found its artistic peak in the 15th and early 16th century, with highly characteristic local styles, such as the "Bella Donna" plates with conventional portraits of beauties, whose names appear on fluttering banderoles with flattering inscriptions. The lack of fuel enforced low firing temperatures, but from the beginning of the 16th century, Deruta compensated with its metallic lustre glazes in golds and ruby red. In the 16th century Deruta produced the so-called "Rafaellesque" ware, decorated with fine arabesques and grottesche on a fine white ground. Deruta, with Gubbio and Urbino, produced some of the finest Italian maiolica. This small town on a hill is world renowned for its ceramics, which are still exported worldwide even today.

Collecting - pewter

Pewter is wonderful, it can be casual and elegant. I have used it in the simplest of dinners to a large festive gathering. I have slowly collected pieces that I thought were useful. I do not much care for collecting things that have no use when it comes to entertaining. Pewter platters are wonderful for displaying bruschetta or tartlettes, and the chargers are wonderful under plates or used as small platters to deliver cocktail filled glasses around to guests that are getting low. I found the wine bucket (which I did not need) on sale and knew that I would be used one way or another for the price I got on it. I have yet to find pewter flatware that I like, still searching and recently found pewter stemware at Williams Sonoma that I am secretly coveting. I do have pewter cake stands as well for displaying a myriad of baked goods.

Collecting pewter is not a inexpensive hobby, so I always look for it at sales. Pewter is a malleable metal, traditionally between 85 and 99 percent tin, with the remainder commonly consisting of copper and/or lead. This being said, you do not want to keep or serve any food product in them that are moist. Copper acts as a hardener while lead is common in the lower grades of pewter (which have a bluish tint). They say the word pewter is a variation of the word spelter, a non-scientific name for zinc.

Cobweb Tiffany Lamp

As a collector, sometimes you covet an item that you know you will most likely never obtain and such is the case with this lamp. The Cobweb Tiffany lamp with flower mosaic base. I first saw this lamp 15 years ago and knew instantly that I wanted one. The one I saw was a reproduction as the original is way outside my price point. Unfortunately the one I saw then was sold out and I have since then educated myself more on making sure that when I do purchase a Tiffany-style reproduction lamp that I do it wisely. I have always envisioned this lamp sitting on a mahogany table in my living room - lit constantly so you can see its' beauty at all hours of the day and so it can also be viewed from the outside, therefore letting the beauty of the lamp reach beyond just my interior.

The shade and base actually interlock which was a major feat back when Louis-Comfort Tiffany first manufactured this piece, much less how difficult it would be to do it now. The hours of meticulous hand-work on the flower mosaic base in incredible. The glass in the shade differs from the glass in the base as the light needs to reflect differently from both. Also notice the irony in this lamp - the gloomy, dreary and muddled colors of the shade paired next to the happy, vibrant colors in the flowered mosaic base. This is truly a work of art.

This lamp is still being recreated by Paul Crist Studios in exact replica. There are only a couple originals out there and the last one sold for $4 million. It takes six months for this cobweb lamp to come to be fully completed with a team of six artisans working on it at varios times. This lamp stands almost 29" tall and 19" wide - it is truly a beautiful piece of true craftsmanship. At a cost of $30,000 - I will have to wait, maybe one day...

Rosemaling

Being Norwegian, I grew up around many traditional things you would see in Norway since my gradparents all emigrated from Oslo. One of the things I have always been fascinated by was the rosemaling. It was on tables, decorative boards around the house, even wooden shoes. I have a tabletop (pictured here) that I have owned for twenty years that was painted by a woman in the town I am from. I love the traditional blue background best, but find the rust and browns beautiful as well.

Rosemaling is a Norwegian folk art and the word means rose or flower painting, but it represents a characteristic type of Norwegian folk painting. Norwegian art is essentially ornamental, never naturalistic and its ideas are charged with ancient magic. They are of practical use in the home and their bright colors make them a cheerful addition to any kitchen or room.

The ancient Scandinavian art of rosemaling ("rose designing"), can be described as a distinctive form of Norwegian art with bold flourishes and delicate scrolls in bright colors. The popular conception of the rose pattern on natural wood or white background differs from the more authentic reproduction of the art that uses colored backgrounds, including black.

The art of rosemaling is tedious and it is difficult to find those who will take the time the intricate work demands. Rosemaling bears the same relation to the more formal Norwegian art that folk songs bear to the classics. It is the art of the people and that is why it has lived on for centuries.

Each piece of rosemaling is by its very nature, an original, painted in the coloring and technique of the Norse folk-artists of a century ago. and finished with layers of lacquers.

Although rosemaling means literally- rose painting, the word rose may be more freely translated as flower, and although the designs are completely imaginary, the flower motif is central to the decoration. Most characteristic of this painting is its use of color. Vermilion and bright blues predominate in the design to form a combination that is entirely distinctive. The artist mixes her own paints, and varnishes over the finished article to make it durable and washable.

Contact me for rosemaling resources - ross@kon-tent.com

Apilco - White Dinnerware

Anyone that entertains is always trying to find great white dinnerware that is versatile. I looked for years for a set that would not only be versatile enough to match with other dinnerware collections I have, but also versatile enough to go from casual to formal.

I found this several years ago by a company called Apilco. I have Tres Grande as my dinnerware, but have selected various pieces from several of their other lines because I have complete versatility with white. I can tell you after years of owning these pieces and heavy usage, I still see no knife scraping in the glaze which is a sign of true quality. The glaze is part of what sets quality dinnerware apart from others.

Their serving pieces as well are amazing. They offer you freezer to oven to table capability. Their pieces truly are timeless and I see any purchase of their dinner and serveware as immediate heirlooms that can easily be handed down.

Collecting - Yellowware

Yellowware is a heavy earthenware made of a yellowish clay. It varies in color from light yellow to orange-yellow. Many nineteenth- and twentieth-century kitchen bowls and jugs were made of yellowware. It was made in England and in the United States. Another form of pottery that is sometimes classed as yellowware, can also be called Mochaware - notice the pitcher in front. The feathering pattern on this mochaware piece was created by dropping the pigment onto the glaze and allowing it to flow on its own creating almost a tree design.

Yellowware is highly collectible, pie pans and molds seem to carry the highest price tags these days. My first yellowware piece that I acquired was actually at an auction and I was bidding against none other than Sotheby's. It is a massive 16" bowl with brown & white stripes - wonderful (far left in the picture). Yes I won, isn't that all that matters....?

Collecting: Staffordshire Spaniels

I’m fascinated by antiques that come with stories, which is why I love Staffordshire spaniels.
Staffordshire spaniels are an odd breed of antique. On the one hand, they’re the quintessential Victorian bourgeois status-symbol knick-knack: no mantelpiece was complete without a pair of spaniels standing guard. On the other hand, they’re utter whimsy: pottery dogs don’t snuggle, they don’t bark, and they have no household use—but they do come with great stories.

When I purchased my first set of these, the antique dealer told me this story surrounding the pair of spaniels: Once upon a time, in a little bungalow next to the sea, there lived a woman and her two Staffordshire spaniels. She was careful about placement of her spaniels in the front window. When the spaniels had their backs to each other, her husband was at home. When they faced each other, he was at sea. The woman's lover would pass by the house, note the position of the spaniels, and know whether or not he could sneak in for a snuggle.

Collecting Transferware - Melbourne

Many years ago I became involved with transferware. With the various colors available and it's ability to transform a table setting into one that brought a sense of class. I discovered this pattern called Melbourne and have only this one platter to show for my collection. I had a comport as well, but that was broken by our former cat who bumped into it and it crashed to the floor. This type of transferware is part of a group called Aesthetic Transferware. Another pattern in this group that I have a penchant for is called Beatrice.
Gildea & Walker created beautiful dinnerware from their manufactury in Burslem, England from 1878-1881. This platter is from 1881. I love the large ship image and then you have the smaller inset of the owl and then the various pattern insets surrounding it. The color of this is completely versatile I have it hanging in my living room as it represents a work of art to me - but can easly take it down and use it for serving. You can find this pattern in a polychromatic style which will have color in it, but I prefer it without. Maybe one day I will have a set of plates and additional serving pieces, one can always dream...

Balloon Clock

Ever since I was a kid, I have been fascinated by key-wound clocks. I love the chiming and the beautiful woodwork. Each piece is a work of art and back 15 years ago, I purchased a balloon clock made by Comitti of London - http://www.comitti.com/ who are still in business today.

A balloon clock is a bracket clock with a waisted or balloon-shaped case. They were made popular in England in the late 18th to the early 19th century. A bracket clock is a style of portable table clock. The term originated with small weight driven clocks (sometimes called 'true bracket clocks') that had to be mounted on a bracket on the wall to allow room for their hanging weights. When spring driven clocks were invented they continued to be made in the bracket style. Often they are composed of two matching pieces created as an ensemble: the clock and its small decorative shelf. They are almost always made of wood, sometimes of ebony, and often ornamented with ormolu \ˈȯr-mə-ˌlü\ mounts, brass inlay, wood or tortoise shell veneer, or decorative varnish. Since in their day clocks were expensive, and a household would not have one in every room, bracket clocks usually had handles to carry them from room to room.
These clocks were almost always repeaters, that is striking clocks which could be made to repeat the striking of the hours at the pull of a lever or cord. This feature was used before artificial illumination to tell what time it was at night. However, because they were often used in bedrooms where the hourly striking of the bell could disturb sleepers, they either had a knob to silence the hourly striking, or did not strike on the hour at all but only at the pull of the cord. These were called 'silent pull repeaters'. It is believed that balloon clock is derived from French styles that are usually of satinwood or mahogany with a convex or flat dial.

Comitti of London have been makers of the finest quality clocks and barometers for over 150 years. I have always wanted one of their barometers, they are instant classics to any home. Many of the styles made in the early days continue to be available today, they are recognised as English classics and sought after as valuable antiques.The company continues to this day as a family-run business designing and making traditional and contemporary pieces. They also offer a bespoke maintenance [custom made] and restoration service for all antique clocks and barometers.

Glassware - Asli

I believe glassware is an essential part of entertaining. I am a firm believer in mixing or matching - depending on the occasion. Getting asked regularly where I got the glasses is a common occurrence, and so I wanted to begin to talk about how to build your glassware pantry. Glassware can be a fairly inexpensive way to dress up your table or set a mood. Collecting what you enjoy and catches your eye is what is most important (as well as scoping out good deals). I am always checking sale tables and website for online sales. I purchased this glassware several years ago because I thought the bowls were reminiscent of Venetian glass. I knew I could use these for a formal dinner or just to make a casual get together for some good wine more elegant by just using a beautiful piece of stemware. It really is all in the details.

Heirloom Recipe Box

Sometimes life just gives you a 'high five' out of nowhere to show you that you are moving down the right path. I stopped over to visit my mother yesterday and she had found my grandmother's recipe box, which was filled to the brim with all the goodies I used to stand beside her and help to make. My grandmother Ellen is who taught me the joy of cooking. E, as I called her, was amazing in the kitchen, garden and home. I owe her for teaching me so many fantastic skills and she still brings a smile to my face whenever I think of her. Seeing the plastic jugs that flanked the top of the box brings me back to so many memories. E did not have much money, and I recall her always placing (with careful perfection) three chocolate chips on top of every one of her chocolate chip cookies.

As you can probably imagine, I was dumbfounded when my mother handed this to me. I could not wait to get home and rummage through this treasure chest and begin to imagine the amazing dishes I could prepare. It has inspired me to create a column in my blog called Heirlooms, recipes that stand the test of time.

I believe in light of where our world is at, it is time to get back to basics, and not worry so much about how to plate a dish - but how to put something in that dish period, something soothing that comforts the soul. I've never been terribly impressed by a $20 appetizer consisting of four shrimp topped one another drizzled with lime reduction and lychee syrup. Don't get me wrong, dishes like this are great from time to time - but for me it always comes back to the community food brings, the conversation and respite from the day. Time to sit together and enjoy a good meal. I look forward to sharing these recipes from you and welcome you to submit any that you have for me to test and try. I will certainly share those that are hits with your permission of course!

Collecting 101 - Mercury Glass

I have a large mercury glass collection. I became fascinated by a butler's ball, which is a large mercury glass ball on a pedestal (all one piece) that was used on a mantel in earlier days so servants could view into an opposing room to see if their master needed anything without physically being present in the room. Since then, I have so much of this - it truly is an addiction.

Mercury glass is the common term for silvered glass, which describes glass that was originally blown double walled, then silvered between the layers with a liquid silvering solution, and sealed. Although mercury was originally used to provide the reflective coating for mirrors, elemental mercury was never used to create tableware. Silvered glass was free-blown, then silvered with a solution containing silver nitrate and grape sugar in solution, heated, then closed. Sealing methods include metal discs covered with a glass round (England) or a cork inserted into the unpolished pontil scar (American). I have some pieces that still have the original cork

"Mercury" silvered glass was produced originally from around 1840 until at least 1930 in Bohemia, now the Czech Republic, Germany, and was also manufactured in England from 1849-55. Companies in the United States, including the Boston and Sandwich Glass Co., New England Glass Co. and the Boston Silver Glass Company, made silvered glass from about 1852-80. Vases, goblets and all form of tableware were decorated with a variety of techniques including painting, enameling, etching, and engraving. Silvered "mercury" glass is considered one of the first true "art glass" types, that is, glass that was made for display and for its inherent artistic value, rather than for utilitarian use. Collecting this type of glassware is fun, and can be inexpensive.

Duckie Uglings

Several months ago I was introduced to these great animals. My friend Becca makes these by hand, each on is completely individual and a work of art. She handcrafts them by recycling old sweaters and notions. My daughter Hadass had to have the monkey, crafted out of argyle of course. We at kon-tent may have to have Becca teach us and our readers how she works her magic. Until then, you can find her Duckie Uglings at www.beccajo.etsy.com. I have a penchant for kitschy things like this and have a hard time not buying all of them. I have included a picture of a kitty named katy since we just adopted a cat from the local humane society ourselves and figured it too needed a good home to live in.